Catalina Vista, named because of the
gorgeous views of the purple tinted Catalina
Mountains seen from the area, is an historic
neighborhood located in the heart of Tucson
in the vicinity of the Arizona Inn, Tucson’s
oldest and only five star hotel and
resort. The historic significance of
Catalina Vista neighborhood is based on its
being the first planned neighborhood in the
City. Tucson’s former polo field and
original rodeo ground that were located
across from the Inn were used as landmarks
in the creation of our neighborhood. In
November 1940 the Hardy-Stonecypher Realty
began advertising Catalina Vista lots for
sale as” scientifically planned to conform
with the Tucson of tomorrow.” The
advertisements highlighted the owners’ plans
to sacrifice generous space for ornamental
thoroughfares, wide streets, elimination of
“monotonous straight street lines,” and “no
two-story houses to obstruct the mountain
view.” Today’s Catalina Vista indeed boasts
wide, palm tree-lined major streets, a
beautiful park, a small circular park, a
numerous small islands filled with varieties
of cacti and other desert loving plants. In
addition to its scenic homes, the
neighborhood is also recognizable by dozens
of tall Aleppo pine trees, and desert
wildlife such as jackrabbits and Gamble’s
quail. Coyotes and javelina (wild pigs) are
also sometimes seen crossing our
neighborhood streets, and new homeowners are
cautioned to keep their pets enclosed!

The neighborhood is carved out between
Tucson Boulevard on the East and Campbell
Avenue on the West, North of Elm Street and
South of Grant Road. It is conveniently
situated diagonally across from the
University of Arizona’s Health Sciences
Center campus which includes the Colleges of
Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Public
Health. The neighborhood tends to serve as a
magnet for university faculty and staff home
owners who wish to live close to their work,
and to the many campus cultural and
educational offerings made available to the
public.

Also located at the Health Sciences Center (HSC)
campus is a hub station for Tucson’s brand
new modern streetcar system, “Sun Link”,
designed to connect this campus to the
University’s main campus, 4th Avenue
shopping and entertainment districts,
Downtown Tucson, the Tucson Convention
Center, the extensive multi-storey apartment
systems available for University of Arizona
students, and the Mercado District under
development west of Interstate 10. Sun Link
is expected to be open for use by all Tucson
residents and visitors by July 2014. The HSC
hub station is an easy bike ride or walk
from Catalina Vista.